How to become a Receptionist

As the first point of contact for many businesses, receptionists play an important role in how customers are welcomed and perceive your business. First impressions last. To become a successful receptionist, you will need to develop the necessary professional skills required to thrive in this role. Let’s look at what it takes to begin contracting as a receptionist in Australia.

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‍Step 1: Get experience dealing with customers

Most firms prefer hiring receptionists with prior customer service experience, so consider applying for internships or entry-level positions at retail stores, restaurants, hotels, or other hospitality-related businesses. Alternatively, you can pursue formal qualifications such as certificates and diplomas that focus on customer service and business administration.

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‍Step 2: Develop your office skills

Receptionists need to have certain soft skills such as communication, problem-solving, professionalism, flexibility and good organisation. You should also be comfortable managing multiple tasks at once and working with different types of technology such as Microsoft office software, answering phones and setting up printers. Having strong interpersonal skills is also essential; effective communicators make good impressions on customers while providing helpful information quickly and efficiently.

Step 3: Register as a sole trader

As a receptionist, it’s likely you’ll register as a sole trader entity. As a sole trader, you will be the sole owner and decision-maker for your business, and you will be responsible for all the profits and losses of the business. To register as a sole trader, you can submit your ABN application online. Once your ABN is registered, you can start looking for contracting jobs. If you need help confirming whether you should register as a sole trader or company, take this business structure quiz to help you decide.

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‍Step 4: Apply for contracting jobs

Once you feel ready to apply for jobs as a receptionist, start doing some research on available positions within your area of expertise. Reach out to contacts within your network via LinkedIn or other professional channels to find out about potential openings or industry opportunities. When applying for positions be sure to tailor your resume according to the specific requirements outlined by each employer; make sure it highlights any relevant experience or qualifications that may be beneficial during the recruitment process.

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Becoming a successful receptionist requires good communication skills, computer skills and you must be organised and professional at all times.  You can start by gaining experience through internships or entry-level positions then pursue formal qualifications related to customer service and business administration. As a receptionist it’s best to leverage your network to get work - reach out to contacts on LinkedIn or other channels when searching for potential job openings as this could help give you that extra edge when applying.

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